


A Little Kitty Told Me

by thatwriterlady



Series: 25 Days of the Holiday Season [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Attraction, Cats, Christmas Fluff, Editor Dean Winchester, Fluffy, Gay Male Character, Happy, Holiday, M/M, Pets, Writer Castiel (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27990264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Dean Winchester lives alone, and he's perfectly fine with that, until one afternoon when a cat shows up at his door. It's the ugliest thing he's ever seen, and yet somehow she manages to steal his heart. She's not his though, and she goes home every night. As he wonders what her owner must be like, she takes matters into her own little paws. Somehow, some way, she was going to introduce them...
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: 25 Days of the Holiday Season [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037259
Comments: 20
Kudos: 152





	A Little Kitty Told Me

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with the idea for this story when a few days ago a kitten showed up. She had to have belonged to someone, she had a collar, but she was in very poor condition. Someone cut her whiskers off, she was flea-infested, she's underweight and her belly is full of worms. We figured out who her owners were and well, they were abusing her. She's here now, possibly to stay. She has thoroughly stolen our hearts, and for such a tiny thing, and for the obvious abuse she endured, she is an absolute angel. I got rid of the fleas and she's eating the same very high-quality food I feed my other cats. We're still working on getting rid of the worms but I figured hey, my others need to be dewormed too, so might as well do them all together, right? Anyway, her arrival sort of popped this idea into my head and the thought of them sharing a cat amused me so much I just had to write this. I think that maybe, thus far, this one is my favorite. I'm still thinking of what to write for the next one. I hope you like this one. Enjoy!

**Dec 9th:**

**_A Little Kitty Told Me~_ **

The sound of tapping against the sliding glass doors drew Dean’s attention away from the dishes he was doing and over to where the ugliest cat he’d ever seen in his life was pawing at the glass in an attempt to get him to come and let it in. He turned the water off and dried his hands on a towel before walking over to look at it.

“Who are you, little guy? And why on earth are you so ugly?”

The cat arched its back and meowed, then pawed at the glass again. As if it felt that another turn and some more meowing would get him to open the door, it did exactly that. He laughed to himself and shook his head.

“Sorry, buddy, but this isn’t your home, you need to go.”

He left the cat to paw at the glass while he went back to doing the dishes. It had to belong to someone. Eventually it would go home.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Aww, when did you get a cat?”

“What?” Dean popped his head out of the back hall just in time to see his friend Charlie opening the sliding door.

“Wait!” 

Too late, the cat dashed inside and up onto the couch. He walked over and looked down at it as it rolled onto its back and squirmed around, waiting for him to rub its belly.

“What’s the matter?” She asked as she joined him in looking at the cat.

“It’s not mine. You let a stray in.”

“Nope,” She reached down to rub the kitty’s belly. “This is no stray, Dean, this is a very expensive, pure breed. I figured that it was yours since it was pawing at the glass so insistently.”

“You’re telling me this ugly thing was bred to look like this... _ on purpose _ ?” He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “It’s fur is all wrong. Do people really think this is cute? What’s wrong with it?”

Charlie sat down on the couch and immediately the cat jumped into her lap. It was purring loudly and thrusting its head into her hand.

“This is curly hair, it’s a Selkirk Rex. Look it up.”

He pulled his phone out and looked the breed up.

“Wow, this is one ugly breed. Wait, there are naked ones. Those are uglier.”

He came around the front of the couch and sat down. Immediately the cat climbed into his lap. 

“Oh what the hell, dude,” He held his hands away so he didn’t have to actually touch it, but the cat just put its paws on his chest and bumped its head against his chin. He finally dropped his hands, laughing as he scratched its head. “Ok, so maybe it’s a little cute.”

“She’s adorable,” Charlie scratched her under her chin, eliciting a loud purr.

“How do you know it’s a her?” He asked.

“I have cats, remember? I know how to tell. Plus she has a collar. There’s a plaque on it that says her name’s Tinkerbell.” She moved some of the fur aside to show him the collar and the name on it.

“Who puts their cat’s name on the collar...but not the home address?” He wondered.

“She’s probably microchipped but most likely her owner doesn’t live far from here. She’s probably spayed and up to date on her shots too. People don’t buy expensive cats like this and then  _ not _ take care of them.”

“She’s awful friendly,” He laughed when she bumped her head against his chin again. “Do you think she’ll go home on her own? Or should I take her to the shelter?”

“Let her chill with you a few hours and see if she wants to go back out on her own. If she does, open the door and let her go, she’ll probably go home.”

He thought about that for a minute. What if she had to use the bathroom? What if she got hungry? He voiced his concerns but she just waved them off.

“When she’s ready, she’ll leave. You can put some water down for her but I guarantee, when she’s ready, she’ll let you know.”

“Ok,” He conceded. Tinkerbell had laid down in his lap, curling up into a little ball as he stroked her fur. He’d never in his life seen a cat with curly hair and he still thought it was strange. She was soft though.

“I’m pretty sure she’s still just a kitten,” She said after a few minutes. “She’s awful small for her breed.”

“Could she be the runt?” He wondered. She shrugged.

“Maybe? All I know is it’s not one of the dainty cat breeds. She should have some heft to her.”

“Well, I’ll put some water down for her in a little while.” He continued stroking her fur as he scrolled through his phone, reading up on the breed.

“You might have just made a new friend,” She nudged his arm and smiled. “You’re always saying you’re lonely here.”

“Ha ha, I didn’t mean I wanted my neighbor’s cat to visit me.”

“Hey, she likes you. Remember, animals are excellent judges of character.” 

He watched the cat as she slept, wondering about her owner, and about where she came from. Had they paid a lot for her? Was she their only cat? Did they have others of her breed? What possessed them to name her Tinkerbell? Actually, that he didn’t question too much, she  _ looked _ like a Tinkerbell.

Three hours later, long after Charlie had left, Tinkerbell woke from the spot she’d claimed in the corner of the L shaped couch, yawning as she arched her back in a stretch. He’d gone to make himself something to eat and paused in his sandwich making when he felt eyes on him. Looking down he found Tinkerbell sitting so politely at his feet.

“What?”

_ “Meow!” _

“No, you’re not getting my food.” He shook his head and tried to ignore her, but she just meowed louder and rubbed against his leg.

“Come on, Tink, go away,” He nudged her away but she came right back. She sat down again and stared up at him as he stared down at her.

“Fine. Here.” He broke off a tiny bit of the roast beef he’d been adding to his sandwich and offered it to her. She sniffed it and then gingerly took it from his fingers. He watched her pad a few feet away to eat it, then proceed to clean herself. He shook his head and leaned back against the counter to eat his food. To his surprise, she didn’t beg again. She drank some water and a half hour later began pawing at the door. He slid it open for her and watched her leave. She hopped up on his patio table and then up onto the private wood fence that separated his tiny yard from that of the other tenants in the building. Since she went over the back of the fence he assumed she didn’t live in one of the units on either side of him. 

Once she was gone he emptied the bowl and put it in the dishwasher. He doubted she’d return but it had been nice while she had visited. That was something he wasn’t going to admit to Charlie.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Hello, baby,” Cas cooed when Tinkerbell came running inside. He closed the sliding door behind her and followed her to the kitchen where she ran to her food bowl. “Oh, you’re a hungry girl, huh.” He added some more kibble to her bowl before going back to folding laundry like he’d been doing. He was just finishing folding the fitted sheet for the bed when he felt the bump against his leg. He put the sheet aside and bent down to scoop her up.

“Where were you today, huh? Were you out hunting the birdies again?”

She purred loudly and bumped her head against his chin. He chuckled and kissed her. Deciding to abandon the laundry in favor of kitty cuddles he carried her over to the couch and sat down. Immediately she laid down and curled up in a little ball. Across the room on the cat tree Tinkerbell’s father, Moriarty was sound asleep. He was a massive, charcoal gray, Selkirk with long, curly fur and penetrating yellow eyes when they were open. Currently they were closed and he was snoring. He hadn’t even acknowledged her return, nor did he care.

Later, after Tinkerbell had left to use her litter pan and then torment Moriarty, Cas returned to the laundry. He folded the rest of it and got it all put away. When he crawled into bed that night he felt warm and secure with his kitties curled up against him. These were his babies, and they were the reason he wasn’t lonely anymore. He had no idea that Tink was busy working a little of her magic on another lonely man. If only he knew…

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Hey, sweetheart,” Dean smiled as he opened the sliding door to let Tinkerbell in. Every day for the last six months she had shown up, and he had come to see her as a friend. He’d even gone so far as to buy her a bag of the highest quality kibble he could find, and she now had matching food and water dishes as well as a litter pan in his bathroom. She owned the place and she knew it.

Charlie had been right about her being a kitten. As time passed, Tinkerbell got bigger. She was somewhere around the ten pound range by the time Christmas rolled around, but still loved to cuddle and play. There were toys all over the place for her too. She might not truly be his but he loved her nonetheless. He hoped her owners didn’t move away. It would break his heart if he never got to see her again.

“Come here, baby girl.” He scooped her up and carried her over to the couch. Over the last few months he’d been putting her in all sorts of costumes and sweaters. For Halloween he’d dressed her up as a witch, and she’d been the cutest one he’d ever seen. For Thanksgiving he dressed her up as a turkey. Now, for Christmas he had an adorable little Santa dress for her to wear, and Charlie was on her way over to take pictures of them together in front of the Christmas tree. He scratched her head once he had her in the dress and she purred loudly as she head bumped him. When Charlie arrived he told her to just come in.

“Oh my God! She’s  _ so cute _ !” She gushed. As soon as she sat down on the couch Tinkerbell ran over to her and jumped in her lap.

“She does, right? I even have a tiny clip to pin to her fur that is a little santa hat. It’s super lightweight so it won’t hurt her, but she’ll be so adorable.” He shamelessly gushed. He’d never thought himself to be the “dress my pets up” type of guy, and he tried not to think about how he was fitting a certain stereotype for gay men. She loved dressing up and she was adorable when she did it, so he was going to buy her cute clothes. Screw what anyone else thought.

“I can’t wait to see that!” She scratched Tinkerbell’s cheeks and kissed the top of her head. The cat accepted all the love she was showering on her before running back to Dean.

“Alright, let’s get started.” He scooped the cat up and carried her over to the chair he’d put in front of the tree. Tinkerbell had pawed at some of the lower hanging ornaments and had tried once to crawl up into the tree itself. She’d taken it right down with her, scaring herself half to death. She’d never tried that again. Now, as he sat down with her in his lap she twisted her body around so she could smack a snowflake ornament.

“No, Tink, come on, sit pretty.” He clicked his tongue and immediately she turned around and sat down. She purred as he put the little hat on her and adjusted his posture. He smiled as Charlie took dozens of pictures. Almost since the first day she’d shown up he’d been working on training her. He’d invested in a cheap little clicker and some high quality cat treats, and he’d been teaching her all sorts of tricks. She could sit pretty, sit up, roll over, dance, and a lot more. She was the best little cat he didn’t own.

“Why would you bother investing in a cat that isn’t even yours?” His brother, Sam had asked. Sam didn’t get it though, Tinkerbell was his  _ friend _ . She made his life a little less dull and he loved her for that. Sure, she went home to someone else every night but he still got cuddles and someone to play with after a long day at work. Twice now she’d even slept over, despite him trying to let her back out. She’d just rolled over and gone back to sleep. When he’d woken up the next morning he’d found her curled up beside him in the bed. It was the most warming thing he’d ever experienced. Sam just didn’t get it. After three years in a relationship he’d thought was heading in the direction of marriage ended abruptly when he found out his boyfriend had cheated, and then left him for the other man. It had left him with such a profound sense of betrayal, and afraid of getting involved with another person. Tinkerbell wasn’t a person, of course, but she was the only thing he’d welcomed into his life since Daniel left that hadn’t scared him and left him with the impending fear of being abandoned. Even on the days when she didn’t come until hours after her usual time he still believed in her return. 

There was something pure about the trust he put in her, and the trust she put in him in return. Slowly, she’d been healing his heart and showing him that he could trust again, and that was something he appreciated her even more for. As he cuddled her close and scratched under her chin she purred so loud that her entire body vibrated. He’d never thought himself to be a cat person but she’d changed his mind. If her owner decided to lock her up and never let her out again it would devastate him. 

“What are you brooding about?” Charlie asked.

“Hmm?” His thoughts had drifted but her voice brought his attention back. “Oh, I was just wondering what her owners are like. She’s so sweet. I think they must be sweet too. I was also thinking about how sad my life would be if she was locked away and not let out again. She’s...made my life better. I love her.”

Charlie smiled and scratched Tinkerbell’s head. “I know. She’s good for you. I think it would be a good idea if you got a cat all your own. Tink could still visit and she’d have a friend to play with. Have you considered that?”

Truth was, he had. He’d even looked into a few breeders. There was a lady that bred Selkirks two hours away and he’d contacted her. There was a little due in a week.

“Um, yeah, I did, actually. I put a deposit down on a kitten.”

“Really?” She smiled wider. “A Selkirk?”

“Yes. The breeder said I should get a boy because two girls might fight later on. I-I didn’t tell her that Tink technically isn’t mine, I was afraid she’d say she wouldn’t sell me a kitten.”

“It’s ok, she doesn’t need to know the details. All she needs to know is that you’ll take care of the one she sells you and love him. Have you thought of names?”

He smiled softly and shrugged. “A few. I want to see him and see what his personality is like before I settle on one. I have a few ideas though.”

“I’m so excited! We’re going shopping for cat supplies, and you need to line up a vet. You should find Tink’s owner, see when she got her shots. She’s spayed, because she’d have shown up pregnant by now if she wasn’t. You’re neutering your little guy, right?” She watched as Tinkerbell hopped down and scampered off.

“I don’t want kittens. Everything I’ve read about cats says that unneutered males will spray. I don’t think I’ll get my deposit back if I let a cat spray. He’s getting neutered while he’s small, but I’ll speak to the vet to find out the right time to do it. I want him to be healthy. I buy the best food on the market already for Tink. I don’t know what her owners are feeding her but she likes what I put down for her, so that’s what I’ll be feeding the little guy too.” He got up and stripped off the sweater he’d worn for the pictures. It was too warm to keep it on. 

Despite it being early December the weather had been unusually warm and he’d been leaving the windows open as a result.

“Good,” Charlie had ditched her jacket and was now kicked back on the couch in a tee shirt and jeans. “You’re doing good with how you take care of her. I don’t know if her owners are aware that she’s moonlighting with you but I think they’d be pleased. I wonder if they’ve noticed that you’ve been training her.”

“I wonder that too,” He chuckled as he started for the kitchen. “You want a beer?”

“Iced tea, if you have it,” She replied. He stopped outside the kitchen when he realized the sliding door was open. “Did you open the sliding door?”

“No, I think it was open when I got here. Did you forget to close it?” She twisted around to look back at the door.

“Where’s Tink?” He turned around in a circle but the cat was nowhere to be seen. She’d come in this direction and he was positive she hadn’t backtracked and headed towards the bedrooms.

“Uh,” She got up and went to check down the hall. When she returned she was shaking her head. “She’s not back there.”

“Wait, are you telling me she went outside in her dress?” He gave a startled laugh. “Oh boy,” He opened the door all the way and stepped into the yard. “Tink? Come here, girl!”

The cat was nowhere to be seen, and she wasn’t meowing in response. “Tinkerbell! Kitty, kitty, where are you?” He listened but got no response. With a chuckle he went back inside.

“She’s gone?” She asked. 

“Yeah, and if she went home…”

She realized what he was getting at and started giggling. “Oh to be a fly on the wall when they see she’s dressed up!”

“I wish I could see that too.” He shook his head and headed for the fridge to get them both a glass of tea. Hopefully she returned with the dress, he’d spent thirty on it. Maybe her owners would be amused. He certainly hoped so. The last thing he wanted was for them to lock her up. Just in case she came back, he left the sliding door open. 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Cas hummed along to the Christmas music playing on the radio as he slid another cookie off the baking sheet and onto the plate. He’d just moved the last one when he heard the familiar tap of tiny nails on the sliding glass door. He left the tray on the stovetop and put the spatula in the sink before walking over to the door to let Tinkerbell in. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his cat.

“Tinker…” He slid the door open. “What on  _ earth _ are you wearing?” 

She trotted into the house and over to her water bowl. He followed, stopping to stare at her. His cat was wearing a red dress, a  _ Santa _ dress, and there was a little red hat precariously attached to the fur on her head by a small clip. 

“Tinkerbell,” He gave a confused laugh as he crouched down beside her. Someone had brushed her, dressed her, and then...sent her home? That didn’t make sense. He scooped her up and held her up so he could look at her. She smelled fantastic, and he’d noticed that she was coming home smelling like that nearly every day for months now. It was a man’s cologne and he’d never admit it but on more than one occasion he’d held her close to breathe it in. Whoever he was, he smelled amazing. She carried the scent even more strongly so whoever this man was, he’d recently been holding her. He was puzzling over what was happening as he carried her to the couch. “Who have you been visiting, sweetheart?” He cooed to her as he sat down. She settled in his lap and started purring. Careful not to hurt her, he unclipped the hat. For a long time he sat and stared at it, wondering about the person who had dressed his cat up. Why had they done it?

Before he could take the dress off she jumped down and ran over to the chair by the tree. She jumped up onto it and sat down. Suddenly it clicked. 

“Baby girl, was someone...taking pictures of you? Christmas pictures?”

She looked at him, blinking slowly before turning her attention to the tree again. She swatted at one of the ball ornaments but he’d secured them all so they couldn’t be knocked off. He’d learned that trick after Moriarty took his entire tree down when he was a kitten. He puzzled over why someone would be taking pictures of his cat. Did they think she was  _ their _ cat? No, that didn’t feel right. She returned every day and she was still wearing her collar. If someone was claiming his cat as their own she’d have never returned, or they’d have taken her to the vet and learned that she was microchipped, except no one had done that. As far as he could tell his cat had found at least one other person to visit, and they were enjoying their time with her. For some reason that amused him. It was funny to think that someone else had fallen in love with Tinkerbell. She really was a special girl.

Seeing as how the cat was already dressed so nicely he decided he wanted pictures with her too. He called his brother up and asked him to come and take them. Forty-five minutes later Gabe was at his door with his camera.

“So you asked me to come and take pictures of you with your cats. I’d say that was weird but this is you we’re talking about,” Gabe teased.

“Hey,” Cas frowned at him. “Rude.”

“I see you got the princess a dress. Cute. What are you putting Mort in?” Gabe asked as he set his camera on the coffee table.

“His name is Moriarty and I have an elf collar for him, and a little green and white striped hat. It’s from a few years back.” Cas explained.

“Since when did you start training her?” Gabe was holding up a treat and Tinkerbell was rolling over for him. Cas stared in shock.

“I haven’t been.”

“Well, someone has,” Gabe fed her the treat just in time for Moriarty to come and investigate. 

“I think she’s been visiting one of my neighbors. She leaves every day and when she returns she smells like a man’s cologne and she’s been neatly brushed. She came home dressed like this, I didn’t buy her a dress.” Castiel said as he put the collar on Moriarty. The cat was not impressed. He got the hats in place for both cats before sitting down beside the tree.

“So someone else is dressing your cat up? No idea who it is?” Gabe asked as he began setting the tripod up for the camera.

“No clue.” Castiel replied.

“Weird,” Gabe put the camera on the tripod but paused to look at him. “Have you thought about attaching a note to her collar and sending her back over there? See if maybe they reach out to you?”

“I actually had not, but that’s a good idea. As soon as we’re done here I’ll figure out a way to attach a note. What should it say?”

“Just write a quick note. Give your name, say it’s your cat, say you took pictures with her dressed up, so they don’t think you’re mad. You’re not mad, are you?” 

Castiel chuckled and shook his head. “No, I’m not mad. I would be if they tried to keep her, but she comes home every day. I think she’s keeping someone company, maybe even someone that’s lonely. That’s why I got cats in the first place, because  _ I _ was alone. Tink just likes to go outside. One day I noticed she’d gone over the fence and she didn’t come home for hours. I got scared that she’d run away but she came back that night. I’ve noticed her coat is shinier and softer, so I think she’s eating very well wherever it is that she goes. If she’s helping someone else feel like they have a friend then I can’t begrudge them that. As long as she comes back, I don’t mind her visiting other people.”

“Make sure your note says that. Add in your phone number, tell them to call or text you.” Gabe suggested as he shook a cat toy to get both cats’ attention. His brother smiled and he got several really good pictures. He was amused to be photographing cats but hey, it looked good in his portfolio.

They spent the next fifteen minutes taking pictures before Moriarty grew bored and left. Tinkerbell didn’t seem bothered by her dress but he took it off anyway. He figured it would give the other person she was visiting a reason to text if they wanted to get it back. When she pawed at the door later Castiel didn’t make her stay. He attached a tiny glass vial he’d bought for an art project a few years ago to her collar and slipped the note inside of it. He opened the door and she didn’t hesitate to run outside. She hopped the fence and disappeared.

“Off to visit her new boyfriend, I assume.” Gabe laughed. “That’s hilarious, by the way. Your cat is getting more action than you are.”

“Shut up,” Castiel laughed. “She’s just a sweet, friendly girl. It has to be someone in this building that she’s visiting, the yards are small but they’re all connected. It could be someone right across the way.”

“It probably is.” Gabe agreed. Castiel considered pulling out his step ladder and climbing up on it to see if he could tell which apartment his cat was visiting but in the end decided not to. If his note reached the person that had dressed Tinkerbell up then they would call or text. He just had to be patient.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Hey, baby girl!” Dean hurried to open the door for Tinkerbell the second he heard her pawing at it. Her dress was gone which was disappointing but at least her owner had seen it and not made the decision to keep her inside. He scooped her up and buried his face in her fur. A second later he pulled back in surprise. She smelled like cologne, not perfume. All this time he’d assumed she belonged to a woman. He smiled when she bumped her head against his chin. Her purring was so loud it reverberated through his hands and chest where he held her close. He scratched her head as he carried her over to the couch. Once he was seated he settled her in his lap.

“So you have a daddy, huh,” He stroked his hand down her back as she blinked her eyes slowly at him. “Has he smelled my cologne on you? He must have, and yet you come back every day. I guess it’s a good thing he doesn’t hate me, even if he kept your dress,” He gave her a scritch under her chin and that’s when he noticed there was something attached to her collar. It was held by a tiny clip which he detached. As Tinkerbell settled down and curled around herself he took the cork out of the tiny glass jar and slid out the piece of paper inside it. His heart began to race as he unrolled it. Was her owner mad? Was this the last time he’d get to see her? Did he only let her out so she’d bring this note to him? He steadied himself, taking in a deep breath, holding it, then releasing it slowly as he started reading it. 

The font was neat and he was almost positive a man had written it, but the way it was addressed made him laugh. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t mad and that was what was important. 

_ To the man Tinkerbell has been cheating on me with, _

_ I have suspected for a long time now that she was visiting someone else, or maybe more than one other person. She always comes home smelling of the same cologne though, so I eventually concluded it was just one person. When she came home last night in a dress I knew I was right. She looked really cute and I hope you don’t mind but I took some Christmas pictures with her and my other cat who happens to be her father. I have the dress and I would like to return it to you. My name is Castiel and I live at 801 Lindhurst apartment 4A. I assume you live close by, maybe even in the same building? I figured since these tiny excuses for yards all back up to one another. I’m including my number. I’d like to get to know the people Tinkerbell likes so much if that’s ok. I hope to hear from you soon. Text any time, I work from home so you won’t be bothering me. _

At the bottom of the note was the man’s number. Before he even finished reading he had his phone out and ready to text the man. He typed his number in and then spent the next fifteen minutes trying to decide what exactly he wanted to say. Finally he settled on something short and sweet.

**Dean:** Hi, I’m the man Tink has been cheating on you with. My name is Dean. I just got your note. I’m in Lindhurst too and I think my yard backs right up to yours. I’m in 4A. I’m glad that you’re not upset that she’s been moonlighting with me. She’s your cat but she’s brought joy into my otherwise dull life. Thank you for letting her visit with me.

He ran his teeth over his lower lip and debated on whether he should send it. In the end he just muttered “fuck it” and pressed send. 

“I hope your daddy is as nice as he seems,” He told the cat as he pet her. “Maybe we could meet. We already have something important in common.”

Tinkerbell cracked one eye open for a few seconds before closing it again. Clearly she didn’t share his curiosity. He pet her as he sat there wondering what Castiel was like. When his phone chimed with a text he grabbed it from where he’d put it on the side table. He smiled when he saw it was from Castiel. He took a second to add the man’s number to his contacts.

**Castiel:** Hello, Dean, I’m glad you found my note, and I thank you for replying. I assume Tinkerbell is with you right now? I’m so glad that she has brought a bit of joy into your life. Do you live alone? Does she get along well with any other pets in your home? I must ask though, for her safety, are they vaccinated and flea treated? She is completely up to date on her shots and she is treated each month. I also use a dewormer. I just wanted you to know that she is well cared for. Would you be interested in meeting? I’d like to invite you and your family over for dinner, just let me know what night you are free.

He smiled as he read the text. So she was as well cared for as he’d assumed. Charlie had been right, no one bought a cat as expensive as she was without taking good care of her. He hurried to reply.

**Dean:** It’s just me, no partner, no kids, no other pets. Yet. Tinkerbell stole my heart so much so that I contacted a breeder and will be getting a Selkirk of my own. He hasn’t been born yet though. Once I bring him home though he will be just as well cared for as Tink. I would love to join you and your family for dinner. I’m free any night, just let me know when you have the time. 

Castiel replied immediately.

**Castiel:** Is tonight too soon? Maybe at seven?

He smiled as he sent his reply. Two years he’d lived here and the only people he’d met were the tenants in the apartments on either side of his own.

**Dean:** I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?

**Castiel:** No thank you, I have everything. Do you have any food allergies or preferences?

**Dean:** I don’t have any allergies and I will eat anything.

**Castiel:** Wonderful, I will see you at seven.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Gabe, I found him!” He was so excited he’d forgotten to give his brother any context. The words were out of his mouth before he realized it.

“You found who, exactly?” 

Cas moved the phone from his right ear to his left so he could take the chicken breasts from the fridge. He already had the jar of homemade pesto and bag of spinach. He set that all on the counter and went back to grab the tomatoes and mozzarella. 

“I found the man Tinkerbell keeps visiting. Remember how I told you she was going somewhere? She’s been visiting the man in the apartment behind mine. Our yards back up to one another but you can’t see the neighbors here because of the high privacy fences.”

“The privacy fences your cat easily jumps?” Gabe asked with a chuckle. “So she’s just been going one apartment over?”

“It seems so. I sent him my number and he texted. I invited him to dinner. I’m getting started on it now.”

“He’s single? No wife? Or husband?”

“No,” Cas smiled to himself as he thought about the conversation he’d had with Dean. “He says Tinkerbell has brought happiness into his life. I think he was pretty lonely before she found him.”

“Cats are special like that. They have this sixth sense about people and they seem to know when they are needed. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get a new friend out of this.”

“I hope so, It would be nice getting to know some of the neighbors. I haven’t really met any since I moved in. I’ve seen the lady in the unit next to mine a few times and we’ve said hi but I haven’t really talked to her.” Cas admitted.

“Let me know what he’s like,” Gabe said. “If he’s as kind to your cat as you think he is, then he has to be a good person.”

“I will. I have to get dinner in the oven and straighten up. I’ll talk to you later.” 

He said goodbye to his brother and focused on getting dinner finished. Once it was in the oven he grabbed the vacuum cleaner and gave the entire apartment a quick run through. He cleaned the kitchen table and began setting it. Almost as an afterthought he went to take a quick shower and change into something nicer than the ratty tee shirt and worn out jeans he’d been in all day. He did a quick shave and then combed his hair. He was just coming out of the bathroom when someone knocked. 

As if anticipating the arrival of someone Moriarty was already pacing in front of the door. He meowed loudly when Cas came down the hall and rubbed against his legs as he opened the door. For a moment he fully forgot how to breathe. The man standing before him was drop dead gorgeous.

“Dean?” He wanted to make sure, just in case, by some change this was a misguided delivery person. It happened often enough.

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.” Dean offered his hand as Cas stepped back to let him in.

“It’s nice to meet you as well.” He shook the man’s hand firmly before closing the door.

“Is this Tink’s father?” Dean was looking down at Moriarty who was weaving between his legs and meowing.

“Yes, his name is Moriarty.” Cas replied.

“Moriarty,” Dean smiled as he bent down to pet the cat. “I like that. Would you believe that I was considering naming my new kitten Sherlock? I’m an Arthur Conan Doyle fan, I’ve read everything he wrote and I used to listen to radio plays with my grandmother. She introduced me to Sherlock Holmes.”

Cas was surprised, and more than a little pleased. “Really?” He gestured towards a bookcase across the room. It was large, filled to overflowing with books. “I love his work, I have copies of everything he wrote. I heard a few radio plays as a child but I’d have liked to hear more of them.”

Dean noticed the rainbow flag that hung behind the television and his eyes seemed to brighten. He stood up and smoothed a hand down his shirt. 

“It smells great in here.”

“I made pesto and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts.” Cas replied.

“That sounds great. I could have brought wine, I have several bottles of white that would pair well with that.”

“I have wine,” Cas motioned towards the small wine cooler on the baker’s rack in the kitchen. “Would you like a glass now? Dinner will be done in about a half hour.”

“Sure.” Dean replied. The apartments in their building were open concept so it wasn’t a far walk to get to the cooler. There were glasses waiting and a bottle left to breathe waiting on the counter. Cas poured them both a glass and passed one to him.

“Where is Tinkerbell?” He asked as he motioned for Dean to join him on the couch.

“Right there.” Dean stopped at the sliding doors to open it and let the cat in. She trotted inside and stopped at Dean’s feet to sit and look up at him. On a whim he’d brought the clicker and some treats. In case Cas didn’t know she was trained. Cas was leaning against the arm of the couch, watching them curiously.

“What’s that?” He asked when Dean pulled the clicker out of his pocket.

“I don’t know if you taught her any tricks or not. Have you?”

“She plays fetch,” Cas shrugged. “They both do though.”

“I saw that. She’s so bright that I decided to look up clicker training on YouTube,” He handed Cas his glass and took a treat from his pocket. “Tink, play dead.” He hit the clicker and after a second the cat laid down on her side, her tail twitching once before she laid still. He praised her and when he hit the clicker a second time she got up and he gave her her reward. Cas stared, his jaw dropped in shock.

“You taught her how to play dead?” He asked once he was able to find his voice.

“I taught her sit, stay, come, play dead, and a couple other things.” Dean replied. 

“I wondered why she’d suddenly flop down when I bring out treats. Or she will sit. I just thought she was really smart, but I didn’t consider that someone might be training her,” Cas looked at Moriarty who was back to rubbing against Dean’s leg as he tried to convince him to give him a treat too. He watched as Dean spent the next ten minutes working with Moriarty. To his shock Dean got him to sit at the sound of the clicker too.

“They’re smart, and they like being praised. I noticed she plays fetch. I’ll play with her a lot. I got these little, fuzzy, sparkly balls and she loves them. She loves hiding them in my shoes.” Dean explained with a chuckle. He worked with Moriarty another few minutes before taking his glass back and joining Cas on the couch.

“What do you do for a living?” Cas asked as they got comfortable.

“I’m an editor. I edit for Weller House Books,” Dean replied. “What do you do?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I  _ write _ books?” Cas grinned. “Not through Weller House though. I write historical nonfiction novels, but I’ve written a few semi-fictional ones too.”

“That’s awesome. English was my favorite subject in school but history was a close second. I taught it for a few years before I got into editing.”

Cas was amazed by how much they had in common. Was it possible they had even more in common?

“I loved English too. I never taught though. Do you work from home?”

“Not always,” Dean replied. “I have an office at Weller House but I can work from home too. I like going to the office in the warmer weather but I stay home if possible in the winter. I’ve been working from home lately.”

“Are you from California originally?” Cas asked.

“Me? I’ve been here a while but I know I don’t  _ sound _ like I am,” Dean chuckled. “I’m from Kansas. You don’t sound like a native Californian either.”

“That’s because I’m not, I’m from Illinois. I’ve been here a while too. I came for college and well, I thought the warm weather would tempt me to stay, and it did, but I couldn’t handle the pollution so I moved up here.” Cas explained. 

“Traded smog for forest fires,” Dean shook his head. “Can’t really win. There are earthquakes back home too. I couldn’t handle the smog. I went to Berkley and I thought I was going to die. I was diagnosed with asthma and put on four different medications, and that’s in addition to a rescue inhaler. After graduating I moved further north and I was slowly able to get off all the medications. It only acts up now if there are fires and the air quality goes down.”

“I was in Los Angeles. The air could get really bad and I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved here about ten years ago, but I only moved to this building about a year ago.” 

“I’ve been here three years. I’ve been toying with buying a house. I’m fine with living alone but since a certain little furball came into my life, I haven’t been quite so eager to leave.” Dean smiled when Moriarty jumped up on the couch between them and bumped his head against Cas’ chest.

“I hated being alone so I got him,” Cas scratched his cat behind his ear. “The breeder I bought him from had asked if I wouldn’t mind letting her use him to breed with a couple of her females. So I put off his neutering, let her use him with the agreement that I would get my pick of his offspring. Mori impregnated two of her cats. When all of the kittens were born I went to look at them. Once their eyes were open and their personalities were starting to develop I went back to pick one out. As soon as I saw Tink I knew she was mine. She had so much personality packed into such a small package that I immediately fell in love with her. I got Mori fixed when I took her in.”

“I never really saw myself as a cat person,” Dean smiled as Moriarty crawled into his lap. Tinkerbell jumped up into Cas’ lap and laid down, bumping her head against his chest until he started petting her. “But then she showed up at my door one day and changed my mind. I really am glad you didn’t keep her locked up and that you let her keep coming to visit me.”

“I’m glad she’s made you as happy as she makes me.” Cas said honestly. 

Their conversation turned to other topics and Dean learned he was going through the same breeder Moriarty and Tinkerbell had come from. They discussed work and family and by the time they sat down to eat they were swapping funny childhood stories.

“So you have three sisters?” Dean asked.

“And one brother. He’s the only one out here in California though. Naomi is in Washington D.C., Hannah is in Chicago and Hael is right outside Chicago in the northwest suburbs.”

“I have two brothers, Sam and Adam. Adam is from our father’s second marriage. Our mom died when I was eight and Sam was five. Two years after she passed our dad met Kate. They married two years later. Adam was born the summer after I turned fourteen.”

“That’s quite an age gap, not that I’m insinuating that you’re old or anything,” Cas corrected himself quickly. The last thing he wanted was to insult him. “I’m probably older than you anyway.”

“It’s fine,” Dean chuckled. “Yeah, he’s out of college now, he’s twenty-two.”

“Oh, then I  _ am _ older than you,” Cas laughed. “I turned forty this past summer.”

“You look great for forty.” Dean said honestly.

“Thank you,” Cas poked at his chicken a bit and sighed. “I thought I’d be at a different place in my life by this point. My life is good, don’t get me wrong, but this isn’t exactly where I expected to be.”

“Thought you’d be married with a kid or two?” Dean guessed. Cas smiled softly and nodded.

“Yes. Instead, I have cats. They’re family though. I couldn’t imagine my life without them in it.”

“I thought I’d be there too, but it ended with him cheating and me alone, spending time with someone  _ else’s _ cat,” Dean laughed. “But I don’t mind. She’s enriched my life in ways I didn’t think possible.”

“So can I ask, since you mentioned your ex is a man, are you gay?” Cas had zeroed in on that bit immediately, and he wanted to know if there was a possibility Dean might say yes if he asked him out.

“I am,” Dean nodded. His smile was breathtaking and it made Cas’ heart skip a beat. His stomach was full of butterflies, a feeling he hadn’t experienced with another man in years. “I’m thinking you’re queer too? The flag…” He gestured towards the wall where it hung.

“I am, yes,” Cas set his fork down and took a sip of his wine in an attempt to settle his nerves. He’d been calm until he’d learned Dean wasn’t straight. “Would you say yes if I asked you to dinner? There’s a quaint little restaurant not far from here. The food is good and there’s an incredible view of the lake.”

Dean’s smile somehow managed to grow even wider. “I’d like that. Are you free tomorrow night?”

They made plans for the following night, and then again for the night after that. On Christmas they made time to see one another and when the breeder called to let Dean know the kittens had been born he brought Cas with to look at them. He picked out a little white one and in the late spring he brought Sherlock home.

Three years later, as they were exchanging their vows, Moriarty and Sherlock were decked out in bowties while Tinkerbell wore a satin dress, the three of them watching with mixed expressions of boredom as their owners slid rings onto one another’s hands before sharing their first kiss as husbands. Tinkerbell had done the hard work, bringing the two men together, everything else had been up to them. A year later, when they called Charlie to come and take their family pictures, the cats were dressed up in colorful pajamas that matched their newborn son Max’s. Their Christmas cards were a delight each year for friends and family to receive and even after two more children joined the family, the cats were never excluded. It just would have felt wrong to anyone that received those cards for the three felines to  _ not _ be in them. They all lived together in a huge house in the country, and they’d never been happier in their lives. Tinkerbell was content to lay on the porch, soaking up the sunshine while she watched the kids play. She didn’t need to play matchmaker anymore, her life was perfect. 


End file.
